Classical Music – The Berlin Spectatorhttps://berlinspectator.com
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3232159402125Clara Schumann: From Child Prodigy to Admired Composerhttps://berlinspectator.com/2020/06/05/clara-schumann-from-child-prodigy-to-admired-composer-1/
Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:27:00 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=7019According to Edvard Grieg, Clara Schumann was "one of the most soulful and famous pianists of the day". As a composer, she was admired as well. In the past five decades, the pieces she wrote were rediscovered and interpreted a lot.]]>

According to Edvard Grieg, Clara Schumann was “one of the most soulful and famous pianists of the day”. As a composer, she was admired as well. In the past five decades, the pieces she wrote were rediscovered and interpreted a lot.

Friedrich Wieck was a very determined man. The theologist was into music so much that he started studying the piano intensively. His first wife Marianne, a pianist and singer, probably was a big influence on him. In this constellation, they had five children, three sons and two daughters, the second of which was Clara.

Exploitation by Father

Once she was five years old, her musical talent became evident. Friedrich Wieck might have exaggerated when he started teaching her the piano intensively at this age. He wanted to introduce her to the public as a child prodigy as early as possible. In today’s world, his approach would have been seen as exploitation of a child.

On the other hand, Wieck may have been worried about putting too much pressure on his daughter. Different sources say he made sure Clara took long walks. Also she learned foreign languages. But music played a huge role. After only a few years in primary school, Clara was taught by private teachers. That way, more piano lessons could be built into her schedule.

Two years before her death, in 1894, Clara Schumann said her father had indeed been very understanding. He had always made sure she would not practice too much. People would of course call him a tyrant, “but I thank him on a daily basis.”

The Gender Aspect

When we look at Clara Schumann, the gender aspect is quite important, even though it should not be. Born 200 years ago, on September 13th, 1819 in Leipzig as Carla Wieck, she became a famous composer in spite of being a woman. Even today, so many decades later, there is a gender issue in this field. Women are absolutely underrepresented among composers, even in 2020.

Something happened when Carla Wieck was 8 years old. The future star composer Robert Schumann, who was then 20 years old, came to live with the Wieck family. He wanted to be taught on the piano by Friedrich Wieck. Even while Carla was still a little child, they supposedly got along very well.

Clara Schumann was a genius composer and pianist.

Once she was 16, love kicked in. Schumann, who would be one of the most respected German composers one day, just like Clara, even dedicated a composition to her. ‘Chiarina’ became part of his piano cycle ‘Carnaval op. 9’.

Carla Wieck Becomes Carla Schumann

As opposed to Carla Wieck and Robert Schumann, Friedrich Wieck was not exactly happy about the relationship they had. In fact, he took her on long concert tours and forbade any communication in letters, long before the telephone, chats and e-mails were invented. Later, Wieck brought Carla to friends of his, who were supposed to make sure she would not see Schumann.

But they supported the relationship. In the summer of 1837, Carla secretly became engaged with her boyfriend. At this moment in time, Carla Wieck became a star in Vienna, where she gave a series of concerts. After a long stay in Paris, she moved to Berlin in order to live with her mother. Her parents had separated shortly before.

Robert Schumann dedicated this piece to Carla Schumann.

Now Carla finally had the opportunity to see Robert Schumann. But in those days, marriage was not possible without her father’s consent. They took him to court to get the latter. Then, finally, on September 12th, 1840, Clara Wieck became Carla Schumann. The two lovers were together. Forever.

Famous Visitors

The couple’s apartment in Leipzig became a haven of love and music. Very often, the Schumanns welcomed visitors they would play their compositions for in private concerts. Many fellow composers were among them, including Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who lived in Leipzig as well, Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

For Carla Schumann, a problem arose. Her husband wanted her at his side. She was supposed to support him and play the piano less than before. This aspect was hard to digest for her. At the same time, Robert Schumann encouraged his wife to keep on composing pieces.

Two daughters were born in 1841 and 1843. Another six children followed later. Seven of them survived their childhood. A reconciliation with her father Friedrich Wieck was reached. Carla Schumann kept on performing, in spite of her husband’s wishes, and contributed to the family’s income. They moved to Dresden, and later to Düsseldorf.

Deteriorating Health

Over the years, it was Carla Schumann who helped Robert Schumann to become a famous and respected composer, by interpreting his pieces on stage, apart from her own.

Johannes Brahms, yet another future star composer, visited the Schumanns when Robert was already very ill. Brahms fell in love with Carla Schumann. It is unclear whether they became lovers, but the letters they wrote to each other sounded that way. Only some of those letters survived.

At some point, Carla Schumann moved back to Berlin, and later to Frankfurt. At age 71 she gave her last concert. She suffered from chronic headaches which affected her hearing. After two strokes, she died on May 20th, 1896, at age 76.

Rediscovered in the 1960s

After her death, her work was largely forgotten. She was mainly remembered as a great pianist and as Robert Schumann’s wife who had promoted his legacy. But in the 1960s, her own compositions were rediscovered. Today, lots of interpretations of her pieces are available, along with her pieces on music sheets.

Clara Schumann’s face was on the 100 Deutschmarks banknote in the Federal Republic of Germany. “The lady on the 100 Marks bill” is unforgotten. She will live on forever, in her truly beautiful music.

In Germany she was celebrated around her 200th birthday last year, both on and off stage. In September of 2019, the Schumann Festival in Leipzig honored her. The Gewandhaus Orchestra played her Piano Concert at the Gewandhaus Concert Hall.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income.As of May 7th, 2020, we made an average of 74 Euro per month since starting the project, which is far from enough.Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. If you like what we do and you want to support us, you can do so by clicking here (Paypal).Thank you so much!

]]>7019Gustavo Dudamel to Take Beethoven and Ravel to Berlinhttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/12/12/gustavo-dudamel-to-take-beethoven-and-ravel-to-berlin/
Thu, 12 Dec 2019 08:24:35 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=12335The Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will return to Berlin in 2020. Under his guidance, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra will play Beethoven, Ravel and other stunning sounds during an open air concert in spring.]]>

The Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will return to Berlin in 2020. Under his guidance, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra will play Beethoven, Ravel and other stunning sounds during an open air concert in spring.

Gustavo Dudamel from Venezuela first conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008. He was only 27 years old at the time and delivered an unforgettable program of Spanish and Latin American compositions. On June 20th, 2020, his fourth Berlin concert is scheduled to take place.

‘The Creatures of Prometheus’

The promoters say they are expecting “another highlight in the mutual cooperation” between the conductor and the orchestra. Even though they might have overlooked the fact that cooperation is always mutual, they are definitely right about the classification.

They will even ‘do’ John Williams. His piece ‘Summon the Heroes’ will be printed on the playbill. Dmitri Shostakovich is to be part of that very special open air concert in Berlin too. His ‘Age of Gold’ is a ballet in three acts and six scenes, which they will play an excerpt of.

Latin American Fire

Has anyone said “Latin American fire”? Oh yes. The Mexican composer Arturo Márquez is contributing his ‘Danzón No. 8’. The evening will be concluded by a brilliant classic, namely ‘Boléro’ by none other than the great Maurice Ravel. If all of this this isn’t an excellent choice, what is?

Gustavo Dudamel was born in the Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto in 1981. Early on, he became part of a national children’s musical education program in his native country. At age 10, he started playing the violin and studying composition. By the time he was 12, he conducted a youth orchestra in such a professional way that he was encouraged to study conducting.

The Dudamel concert will take place at Berlin’s ‘Waldbühne’ in Olympia Park.

At age 18, he became chief conductor at the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar, the main state-sponsored youth orchestra in Venezuela. In 2004, Dudamel won the first Gustav Mahler Conductor Competition in the German town of Bamberg. By 2006, his first CD was published on the famous label Deutsche Grammophon. The rest is history.

Gustavo Dudamel’s concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra will take place on June 20th, 2020 at 20:00 hrs. (8:00 p.m.) at ‘Waldbühne Berlin’. Tickets are available here. There is a wide price range from 26 to 67 Euro (29 to 75 U.S. Dollars or 22 to 57 Pounds Sterling).

¡Bienvenido a Berlin, maestro!

]]>12335Beethoven Superstar: An Entire Year of Festivitieshttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/12/04/beethoven-superstar-an-entire-year-of-festivities/
Wed, 04 Dec 2019 20:16:00 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=12029Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday is coming up in 2020. The German composer will be honored with hundreds of events in his birth city of Bonn and other places. Let the big party begin.]]>

Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday is coming up in 2020. The German composer will be honored with hundreds of events in his birth city of Bonn and other places. Let the big party begin.

Da – da – da – daaaaa. Da – da – da – daaaaa. Not even Mozart’s pieces are as recognizable as Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. He is the don, the 10 our of 10, the master, the Cadillac of composers. His compositions sound majestic and complete. And German, somehow.

Final Frontier

Beethoven’s pieces were admired when the master was still alive. They were worshiped after his death and they are today. His sounds were sent to space. In the summer of 1977, the two Voyager probes took off towards the final frontier. Today they have reached unknown spots outside the Solar System.

Both probes are carrying gold-plated discs with photos, messages in many languages and music. The Fifth Symphony is included. So is part of his String Quartet no. 13 for two violins, one viola and one cello. Ludwig van Beethoven is a star, both on Earth and outside the Solar System.

Once the aliens hear him, they will be convinced Earthlings are capable, thanks to him. They will hear bad music soon enough, as soon as they get to visit Earth. But why not lure them with Beethoven first? They did choose the right sounds. That’s for sure.

Chuck and Ludwig

“I got the rockin’ pneumonia, I need a shot of rhythm and blues, I think I’m rollin’ arthritis, sittin’ down by the rhythm review. Roll over, Beethoven rockin’ in two by two.” Thank you, Chuck Berry. He even made Ludwig van Beethoven a Rock star.

Da – da – da – daaaaa, the Voyager, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ and Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ are full of Beethoven. In the 1972 motion picture, Alex, the bad guy, has a condition in which he cannot listen to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. But he is his biggest fan.

Germany’s big writers, Schiller, Goethe, Büchner, Busch, Böll and Brecht need translations to attract readers outside the German-speaking part of the world. Since Beethoven does not, thanks to the fact that the language of music is global, he is the perfect person to show off German culture with.

Always Impressive

Beethoven is the star in Goethe Institutes. He is the star in big and elegant concert halls around the world. It does not matter whether the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Muti, plays his Ninth or the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam does his Seventh. He is always impressive.

And he is the star in 2020. Hundreds of artists will interpret his work in Germany alone. Concerts, exhibitions and guided tours in his birth city of Bonn are scheduled to take place until the end of 2020. It is all starting right now.

By the way: The publication you are reading, The Berlin Spectator, was established in January of 2019. We have worked a whole lot, as you can see. But there has hardly been any income. This is something we urgently need to change. Would you consider contributing? We would be very thankful. Our donations page can be found here.

Since the organizers of Ludwig van Beethoven’s ‘birthday year’ wanted the whole thing to sound hip, they decided to call it ‘BTHVN2020’. Yes, in capital letters. Wow. But, hip weirdness or not, the main thing is that it is all about him. Ludwig Superstar.

Women and Music

He was baptized on December 17th, 1779 and became a pianist virtuoso. He was good at improvising, meaning he could have been a Jazz pianist had he been born about 150 to 200 years later. Romanticism was the kind of music he paved the way for with his gift.

He liked women and music, probably in that order. Unfortunately he was not healthy. Beethoven still composed once he was deaf. Imagine that. It’s like a film director turns blind and continues shooting anyway. He must have struggled so much until he died on March 26th, 1827 in Vienna.

]]>12029Berlin: Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ to Delight Audienceshttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/10/04/berlin-mozarts-requiem-to-delight-audiences/
Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:05:47 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=9024Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden are in for impressive performances of Mozart's 'Requiem', the last piece he ever wrote. A famous orchestra, a choir and the appropriate venues will make those evenings more than special.]]>

Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden are in for impressive performances of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’, the last piece he ever wrote. A famous orchestra, a choir and the appropriate venues will make those evenings more than special.

In the spring of 1789, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, took a big trip. Apart from Dresden and Leipzig, he visited Berlin. The composer from Vienna arrived in Potsdam on April 23rd, where he was supposed to play for Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia. But the King had not arrived yet. Mozart was disappointed, according to historic documents.

Big Night at Apostle Paul Church

A month later, on May 19th, 1789, Mozart arrived in Berlin, where he played for the King and Queen on May 26th. Now, some 230 years later, he will be back, in the shape of his ‘Requiem’. Not that his work wasn’t played in Berlin before, but this last sentence just needed to be included in this Pulitzer Prize-worthy intro (just kidding).

Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ will be performed at Berlin’s Apostle Paul Church by the stunning New Philharmonic Orchestra from Hamburg and the Karl Foster choir in November. The same concert will take place in Kiel and Dresden as well (see details below).

The ‘Requiem’ is Mozart’s last composition.

The ‘Requiem’ was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s last composition. He actually finished only two thirds of it before he died. His widow Constanze Mozart commissioned two of her husband’s students, Joseph Eybler and Franz Xaver Süßmayr, to complete it. They were successful, as the ‘Requiem’ has been one of the most popular church music compositions for 200 years now.

Majestic Sound and Sonority

This piece of work sounds majestic. Its sonority is second to none. The entire combination of this exceptional compositions, a usually large church or cathedral as the venue, a big orchestra and a choir make performances of the ‘Requiem’ a lasting experience.

Volker Hedtfeld, the conductor of the evening, is not a novice. As a child, he learned how to play the piano, the organ and the violin. He studied music in Cologne, before changing to special conducting studies. In Berlin, he later specialized on conducting both orchestras and choirs. Hedtfeld founded the Opus Vocale choir some 17 years ago.

Hamburg’s New Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by freelance musicians in 2003. At home in Hamburg, it usually performs at the ‘Laeiszhalle’ venue, but its members perform all over northern Germany all the time. They have also toured within Europe, in China and Korea.

Tickets for the special Mozart concert in Berlin, which is scheduled for November 24th, 2019, at Apostle Paul Church are available here for 42.25 Euro (46.30 Dollars or 37.60 Pounds Sterling). For the Kiel concert on November 10th, tickets are being sold here. Finally, the Dresden concert at the impressive ‘Frauenkirche’ will take place on November 16th.

]]>9024Mogilevsky to Mesmerize Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf with Chopin and Morehttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/07/28/purely-chopin-vladimir-mogilevsky-to-mesmerize-berlin-twice-2/
Sun, 28 Jul 2019 07:47:31 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=6463Critics can use the words 'virtuoso' and 'genius' a million times. They do have a point, but only listening to the master will really show what the man can do.]]>

Berliners have two opportunities to witness none other than Vladimir Mogilevsky interpreting Frédéric Chopin at the Philharmonie. These concerts were announced for September and December. Most critics agree that nobody plays like Mogislevsky.

Vladimir Mogilevsky is being drowned in praise. The pianist was “Liszt’s true successor”, the ‘Europa Express’ wrote. Other dailies and magazines accurately call him a “congenial interpreter” or a “virtuoso and real musician”. Some publications use the very same words when describing him. This has to do with the fact that there simply are no words for this kind of amazing sound.

What does the Composer Want to Say?

Mogilevsky himself delivers the most convincing description of his magic piano performance. He does not use words, but rather 88 piano keys on the concert grand. In other words: Critics can use the words ‘virtuoso’ and ‘genius’ a million times. They do have a point, but only listening to the master will really show what the man can do.

Compassion and perfection are more words often used in one sentence with his name. Vladimir Mogilevski himself has said the question what the composer wanted to tell the audience was crucial. “In most cases, you cannot ask them anymore”, the 49-year-old states, but he does provide excellent answers with his fingers on the keys, and he has done so for a very long time.

Mogilevsky was born in Moscow in 1970, when it was capital of the Soviet Union. His unbelievable gift was discovered when he was only 5 years old. In 1994, at age 24, he completed his studies at the renown Gnessin Musical Academy, with the highest evaluation possible, and moved to Germany in 1995. In the past decades, he received countless deserved prizes.

There is Only One Vladimir Mogilevsky

Both his audiences and critics appreciate Mogilevsky’s individuality and his “fresh” interpretations. Many say he equalled absolutely nobody. And they are right. His repertoire includes a wide range of compositions from Bach to contemporary pieces. It is not all classical music. Vladimir Mogilevsky does not have any problem with playing Gershwin either. His incredible memory makes sure he is always ready to play anything, even at a moment’s notice.

So he switches back and forth between composers all the time. After playing Tchaikovsky, he would interpret Milhaud, Hindemith, Strauss, Liszt or Chopin. The latter is what he will do in Berlin twice before this year ends, and in Düsseldorf.

Apart from performing in Germany and Russia a lot, Mogilevsky does hit stages in more exotic countries too, including Israel, Turkey, China, South Africa and Mexico. He spends a lot of time in VIP lounges at the world’s airports, in hotel suites and, fortunately, on stages, behind well tuned concert grands.

Liszt’s Old Piano

Besides, he does very special gigs: In 2002, the Liszt Festival in Bonn booked Vladimir Mogilevsky. On that occasion, he did not perform on stage, but in Franz Liszt’s house, playing the late composer’s actual concert grand manufactured by Bechstein. He also played on instruments which were used by other big composers, including Beethoven’s piano.

In 2004, Mogilevsky’s debut concert in Berlin took place. Since, the promoters in the German capital have been booking him like crazy. This year is no exception.

]]>6463Berlin: Sachiko Furuhata to Play Chopin at French Domehttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/05/02/berlin-sachiko-furuhata-to-play-chopin-at-french-dome/
Thu, 02 May 2019 09:24:59 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=4324Sachiko Furuhata-Kersting was born in Yokohama in 1975. At the age of three she got her first piano lessons. Once she had won the national "New Pianist" competition in Japan, she moved over to Germany, in order to study at the Music Academy of Detmold and the Robert Schumann Academy in Düsseldorf. ]]>

Pianist Sachiko Furuhata-Kersting performs both in her native Japan and all over Europe. Her debut concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo took place only seven years ago, in 2012. In 2017, she mesmerized an audience across the Atlantic Ocean, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, for the first time.

The master pianist also cooperates with the greatest orchestras on the face of the Earth, including the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Osaka Chamber Orchestra as well as the German Philharmonic Radio Orchestra. Sachiko Furuhata-Kersting hits festival stages too.

In her latest recording, the Japanese genius musician concentrated on Ludwig van Beethoven and Robert Schumann. For her 2014 album, she was awarded the ‘Music Arena Performance of the Year’ prize, and she has been incredibly busy since. The latter will not change anytime soon.

Sachiko Furuhata-Kersting was born in Yokohama in 1975. At the age of three she got her first piano lessons. Once she had won the national “New Pianist” competition in Japan, she moved over to Germany, in order to study at the Music Academy of Detmold and the Robert Schumann Academy in Düsseldorf. She was taught all over the place, including in Salzburg and Weimar, by the most renown masters in the business.

It gets better: Sachiko Furuhata is now concentrating on Frédéric Chopin’s piano works. And she will perform in Berlin this month. This is the news item which should lead to excitement among Chopin lovers.

The genius composer Frédéric Chopin was only 39 when he died of tuberculosis. Photo: Musée de la Musique

The big Polish composer who had a French father was born in early 1810. At the age of 20, he left Poland for Vienna. From 1831 until his early death in 1949, he was in Paris most of the time, where he composed his stunning pieces while teaching the piano in order to make a living. He was only 39 years old and poor when he passed away of tuberculosis, for which there was no cure during his life time.

In 1835, he got the French nationality. Frédéric Chopin knew he had to be in Paris because that was where the best musicians lived and worked.

As a composer, he mainly created piano pieces, while his own piano play was celebrated because Chopin knew how to make use of all possibilities of the instrument, apart from his famous soft, sensitive touch.

Experts say Chopin’s composition style was influenced by traditional Polish folk music, but also Bach, Mozart, Schubert and the Italian opera. Also the Paris saloon atmosphere was a major influence. Free improvisation was something he was very good at. It definitely helped him compose his stunning masterpieces.

‘Chopin Pur’ is the title of Sachiko Furuhata’s Chpoin concert series. The Berlin concert will take place at the French Dome (‘Französische Friedrichstadtkirche) on May 31st, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. CEST. Tickets for 33.45 Euro (or 25.85 Euro for students and jobless individuals) are available here.

]]>4324Rattle and Harmony: Classical Music Live in Germanyhttps://berlinspectator.com/2019/03/10/rattle-and-harmony-classical-music-live-in-germany/
Sun, 10 Mar 2019 12:41:16 +0000https://berlinspectator.com/?p=2689Stunning classical music concerts keep on taking place in Germany's large cities. For lovers of the genre, being there is probably the most desirable option, but also the most expensive one. The other way is to listen to those concerts live, thanks to the ARD radio network. They are even broadcasting live from the New York Met.]]>

Stunning classical music concerts keep on taking place in Germany’s large cities. For lovers of the genre, being there is probably the most desirable option, but also the most expensive one. The other way is to listen to those concerts live, thanks to the ARD radio network. They are even broadcasting live from the New York Met.

These are a few examples for upcoming concerts which can be enjoyed live on site or from home:

Rattle in Berlin

On March 21st, 2019, Sir Simon Rattle will be back in Berlin. With the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the conductor will be offering Helmut Lachenmann’s contemporary piece ‘My Melodies’ and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 in C major. During his time over here, Rattle usually chose both modern and classical compositions for his memorable performances. He is not changing his concept for this special evening.

The Italian star pianist Francesco Piemontesi will be the soloist when the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra hits the stage at the NDR’s Broadcasting Hall in the northern German city of Hanover on March 21st. None other than Andrew Manze will conduct this concert. Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concert No. 2 in B flat major and Symphony No. 2 in D major by Jean Sibelius are listed on the program leaflet.

For this special evening, Pablo Heras-Casado, the SWR Vocals Ensemble as well as the SWR Symphonic Orchestra are teaming up in Stuttgart. They will be presenting “Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen” by Johannes Brahms, a composition written for choirs, and Symphony Nr. 5 in d minor by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Violinist Emmanuel Tjeknavorian was born on the same day as Yehudi Menuhin, but 79 years later. Menuhin died in Berlin exactly 20 years ago. His young heir Tjeknavorian will be featured by conductor Pablo González. Compositions by Berlioz, Sibelius and Nielsen are part of the program.

When the mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča and the tenor Roberto Alagna did ‘Carmen’ at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, the outcome was brilliant. Now they are part of the French Opera ‘Samson and Dalila’ at the same venue. Mark Elder conducts the Metropolitan Opera Choir and Orchestra.